Overview & Reviews

At some point in their lives, most people find themselves in need of a small, inexpensive car that gets them around with minimal hassle. While the names "Civic" and "Corolla" come up in most every small sedan buyer's research, the trouble is that you often pay dearly for these household names. In hopes of attracting people on a tighter budget, Suzuki offered the Forenza from 2004-'08.

This value-oriented compact came in sedan and wagon body styles. It boasted a low price of entry, a roomy interior, European-inspired design, a host of standard features, competitive power figures and a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

At a glance, the well-equipped Suzuki Forenza appeared to offer terrific value. But in our evaluations, we found that it fell short of the segment leaders in terms of performance, fuel economy, handling and interior refinement. Unless you really need the extra space of its available wagon body style in a used car, we recommend that you focus on one of its more worthy competitors.

Most Recent Suzuki Forenza

The Suzuki Forenza debuted in 2004, with the wagon model following in 2005. The Forenza was actually built by the Korean automaker Daewoo and rebadged as the Forenza for the American market. It was offered as a four-door sedan or wagon in a single trim level with various available packages. Standard equipment included four-wheel disc brakes, air-conditioning, front seat side airbags, full power accessories and a CD/MP3 stereo with steering-wheel controls. Notably, ABS was an extra-cost option.

The Forenza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 127 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. This engine performed adequately with the manual transmission but felt burdened and underpowered when saddled with the four-speed automatic. To make matters worse, it wasn't particularly fuel-efficient or refined, either.

The Forenza's cabin was something of a mixed bag, too. It was spacious, with lots of stylish metallic accents, but this was offset by inconsistent materials quality and an overall lack of refinement and quality compared with class leaders. If you can get past that, there was lots of rear legroom for adults and a 60/40-split-folding seatback for extra utility. The sedan provided 12 cubic feet of trunk capacity, with the wagon offering nearly 62 cubic feet of space with the rear seat folded.

On the road, the Suzuki Forenza exhibited soft, rubbery handling and a poor ride quality compared with its competitors, as well as excessive wind noise on the highway. Although it was compliant enough, it exhibited little suspension control over bumps and ruts. Handling around corners was loose and unsure, with excessive body roll and minimal grip from the tires. When merging into traffic, automatic-equipped Forenzas accelerated weakly, and any such maneuver took some advance planning.

Changes were slight during the Suzuki Forenza's run. For 2005, side impact airbags became standard for all Forenzas. The Forenza was freshened up a bit for 2006, receiving a new front fascia, redesigned seats, new wheels and revised trim levels. Bluetooth became available for 2008.

User Reviews:

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  Forenza #1 - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Rachel - October 10 - 5:50 pm

  Well I just recently bought a Suzuki Forenza, and I love it! It is fast, roomy, has tons of features, and the best part is it is affordable. I just want to let people know that I am greatly satisfied with it. People always come up to me and ask what I’m driving. When I tell them, they can’t believe it’s a Suzuki. Your competitors are charging thousands more than Suzuki, and for what? Words can not explain how satisfied my family and I are!

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  Economically priced - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Frank Nabulsi - October 5 - 8:56 am

  I figured the Suzuki Ex for the price of $13,800 and some change out of the door (OTD) the gamble is worth it. The vehicle is loaded with leather seats, front and back airbag, power windows, full fledge alarm system, Cruise control, AM/FM CD/ Cassette player, Sun roof, Fog lights and audio control buttons located on the steering wheel. It also has 3 years of road service, 7 years warranty on major mechanical components, for that price I really cannot complaint. I was driving this vehicle for a week and a half and it give me better gas mileage than my Sienna LE.I owned Town & Country Crysler and they brought nothing but stress and nightmare.

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  Good ride - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Wade - September 28 - 6:56 pm

  I bought my car in December, 05. I love my Forenza. I drove it from Louisiana to Colorado and had great gas milage. I bought it to commute to school and it has served that purpose well. If you need a car to get around town or are a college student, get this car!

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  Excellent - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By BigAl - September 28 - 3:10 pm

  I love everything about this car. It gets good fuel economy, has style, ergonomics, decent handling, and a nice interior. To top it all off, its a bargain. I cant believe the reviewers are so negative on this car. They must just be biased.

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  DUSTIN AND JESSICAS REVIEW - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By DUSTIN - September 26 - 10:00 am

  GREAT GAS MILEAGE AND FOR A FAMILY SEDAN TYPE CAR, VERY ZIPPY. COMFORTABLE AND GOOD AUDIO SYSTEM. PLENTY OF ROOM. (QUICK BUT NOT TOO FAST)

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  Not too bad a car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By dennis - September 17 - 10:46 pm

  Well, I have owned my car for one month right now and I have to say that I am rather happy. Did have one minor glitch my clock did not work-service said fuse blew out- just did not know how that could have happned. Anyways, rides fine, has good pickup when giving it the gas, sound system is great, didnt really find the leg room space as others have found. I had an orginal 1986 Pontaic Grand Am which I found to just as have as much leg space as this car but the backseat is more comfortable to sit in as my friends report.

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  love this car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By jewellene - August 24 - 1:26 pm

  i got this car little over year now and i love it ...

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  Paint or clear coat peeling off - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By hjb6 - August 23 - 12:50 am

  My car has suddenly had a problem with the clear coat on the hood peeling off. There is an area about 18 inches wide and just keeps growing bigger. Looks horrible. The tire pressure light stays on now all the time. Weve checked and adjusted the pressure over and over and cant get the light to go off. The check engine light came on today and Auto Zone said its coming up with something about the cooling system, most likely the thermostat. Im calling tomorrow to have it all checked out. Its been ok otherwise, but well see.

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  I love this car!! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Chris - August 21 - 8:53 am

  When we first got the car we took it to Rocky Mountain National Park, and the next day it started having troubles starting. At the time they didnt have a fix but a few months down the road a software update came out and that fixed the problem. I have had the car for a year and that is the only problem I have ever had with it. Right now I have put 20,000 miles on it.

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  Long Travels! - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steven - August 20 - 3:13 pm

  I would have to say that this little car has very good fuel economy (28/31mpg). I bought the car new and have really put it through its paces. I have taken it from southern Kentucky down to Miami at about 1100 miles, three times. Most of the miles put on this car are highway. A/C went out after about 36000 miles with the warranty running out at 35000. The seat cloth pulls away and doesnt matter if you put it back on track or not. Its a five speed so that may be why I am gettting better gas mileage than most of the reviews. I had to take it in for some recalls with the water pump and my dim lights went out because of the wirring harness. Overall not impressed but its still running.